After more than a dozen medals and a valedictory speech, 16-year-old Shaira Perez cannot imagine any other life besides going to college.

A beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program from Brgy. Laiya in San Juan, Batangas Province, Shaira has recently graduated as valedictorian of 287 graduates in Laiya National High School. Armed with the skills she learned from 10 years of schooling, she is positive that she’s finally a step closer towards helping her family.

Shaira is just one of the more than 9,000 high school graduates who are beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilya program in the said province.

To ensure enrolment in college, Shaira, one day after her graduation, is already busy completing her documents for possible scholarships. She is eyeing to enroll at the University of the Philippines after passing its entrance examination.

Her motivations

Shaira’s motivation to go to college is fueled by her family’s current living condition.

“Kapos po ang pamilya namin, mahirap po ang buhay. Katulad po ngayon, magka-college na ako pero kahit mag-apply ako sa mga scholarships, alam kong hindi pa rin sasapat iyon para masigurong tuloy-tuloy ang pag-aaral ko,” Shaira shared.

Slightly small for her age, Shaira has experienced a lot of struggles at her young age. Her parents are both working as helpers in a beach resort in Laiya and both of them earn barely enough to support Shaira and her two other siblings. What’s worse, her elder sister has cerebral palsy and takes a lot of the family’s earnings to keep up with her medical needs.

According to Rowena, 38, Shaira’s mother, the coming of the Pantawid Pamilya program in their family in 2010 is a big blessing. For a family who only earns a good income during summer seasons and who has a mentally-challenged child to attend to, the cash grants from the program became a big help especially in ensuring that Shaira’s needs in school are provided for.

“Dahil po sa Pantawid, laging p’wede na akong sumali sa mga contests at may pambayad na kami sa mga pangangailangan ko sa school,” shared Shaira who had also seen how her parents would borrow money from neighbors whenever she needs to join activities in school.

For her, being able to freely join in most school activities opened opportunities for her to excel in her class. She balances her academic and extra-curricular performance, which made good results in the end.

“Magka-college po ako at magtatapos para matulungan ko ang aking mga magulang. Sila ang nagpakahirap at nagpawis para sa amin. Gusto ko silang tulungan,” added Shaira, who wants to pursue a course on Accounting or Engineering.

Going forward

In her graduation ceremony, Shaira is reminded of the challenge she left to her classmates—to continue dreaming, work hard for the achievement of their dreams and give back the hard work of their parents and their teachers.

“Sana bawat isa sa atin ay magpatuloy ng ating paglalakbay, sana lahat tayo ay makatuntong ng kolehiyo at magtagumpay,” Shaira shared—a line in her valedictory speech that she ought to fulfill for herself as well.

For her, she’ll bring with her all she learned from her 10 years in school to reach her dreams.

“Nakikita namin ang determinasyon n’ya pero sa ngayon, hindi talaga namin masasabi na kaya namin s’yang suportahan hanggang sa huli,” shared Rowena in tears.

However, it is Shaira’s skills and potentials that drive her and her husband to support her all the way.

According to Rowena, they understand how important it is for Shaira to enroll in college because they’ve seen her potentials at an early age. However, what little they earned from their savings for her college education was used up when their house was demolished last year. The lot where their house once stood was developed into a resort; hence, they need to relocate and construct a new house. Rowena was also not able to continue her hog raising business, which became a major blow in their finances as well.

“Yung naipon namin noon, ginamit namin sa pagpapatayo ng bahay. Ayaw naman naming tumira sa tabing kalye na lang, para rin naman sa kanila iyon, lalo na sa anak kong may sakit. Wala kaming inaasahan ngayon kundi ‘yung trabaho lang namin sa resort,” Rowena added.

However, this financial struggle will not ruin Shaira’s dreams.

“Sisikapin naming mag-asawa na itaguyod s’ya. Habang ‘yung bunso namin ay sinusuportahan pa ng Pantawid, magdodoble sikap kami para mapagtapos s’ya,” Rowena promised in front of a teary Shaira.

Shaira, on the other hand, never loses hope.

“Napatunayan ko na ang pagiging mahirap ay hindi hadlang para umangat ka. Kaya kong pagsumikapan ang aking pag-araal, kaya kong magtapos para maging maayos na ang aming buhay,” Shaira shared with conviction.

For Shaira, a college education is indeed the answer towards getting her family out of poverty.***